"The Lottery" Sample Introduction

Below is an example of how I might write an introduction to my analysis of "The Lottery."

It is presented here as INSPIRATION and not IMITATION.  

NOTICE:

• MLA Format
• I strive for appropriate use of English Conventions (cap, punc, grammar)
• I use my own voice and have provided some thoughts
• I looked up a bit of history about the story (sometimes knowing when a writer writes a story give us insight as to why they wrote the story - especially in dystopian fiction)
• I have a very short synopsis
• I connect to things outside of the story, including a quote.
• I address what I am going to cover in my analysis
• I have included my theme
• I have a transition to my "evidence paragraph"

Donna Moreau

Ms. Moreau

Language Arts, B

20 November 2017

Analysis of “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson

    One of the most shocking stories I have ever read in my life is, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.  This classic short story, once considered, “ . . .one of the most famous short stories in the history of American literature” in the book American Literature by Francis Skipp, was written in post-WWII America and tells the tale of a small rural town that practices a long standing ritual that leads to human sacrifice - much like sacrificial rituals ancient cultures such as the Mayan’s or even the Egyptians practiced to appease their many Gods.  Because dystopian stories are cautionary tales, warning society of imminent doom should we not head the author’s warning, it stands to reason that Jackson had something to say about cultures that blindly follow traditions and rituals without question, are in fact, doomed because they are practiced without conscious.  And, if those rituals/tradition are not the cheery kind like Thanksgiving or 1st birthday parties, but are ancient, outdated, and without meaning or purpose, then someone or something is going to pay the price for that ignorance. How in the world, in seven pages, did Jackson reveal her theme - her warning?  Her clearly articulated dramatic arc, her incredible foreshadowing, and the harrowing climax where the protagonist is literally stoned to death are the vehicles that this insightful author used to create this crazy and shocking story.  The most incredible technique Jackson used to set up her readers for the unnerving ending to, “The Lottery,” was to draw out the status quo, which take up nearly three-quarters of the story.

    The story opens on a beautiful day in summer . . .  (this is you first evidence paragraph)